Thumbs.db

N
Posted By
nvslater
Jul 28, 2008
Views
549
Replies
13
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Closed
Have windows xp and photoshop cs3. Thumbs.db just showed up in the bridge. Don’t know how it got there. What should I do with It?
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J
Jim
Jul 28, 2008
"nvslater" wrote in message
Have windows xp and photoshop cs3. Thumbs.db just showed up in the bridge. Don’t know how it got there. What should I do with It?
It is the database for thumbnails. Leave it alone.
Jim
BL
Bob Levine
Jul 28, 2008
That file is created by Windows Explorer when you view thumbnails.

Bob
N
nvslater
Jul 28, 2008
I have never seen this file before. Can you explain further how I could have had windows explorer create this file.
I would presume that I could delete this file, right?
S
Silkrooster
Jul 28, 2008
Normally the thumbs.db file is hidden in bridge. This can be changed in the menu at view>show hidden files. Just click it to make them hidden again.
The Thumbs.db file is a small database that stores the thumbnails for windows explorer. You can delete it but it will be recreated the next time you view any images in that folder. Each folder has it’s own thumbs.db file if there are any images in that folder.
I suppose it may be possible for them to not be created if you keep your file display set to details only. I am only guessing on that one, never tried it.
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nvslater
Jul 28, 2008
I will check,but I think I have showw hidden files selected.
N
nvslater
Jul 28, 2008
When I deselect show hidden files, at the bottom of the window it says 32 items, 1 hidden. Never had that before.
I am used to seeing the sort icon, but not this
JJ
John Joslin
Jul 28, 2008
You can stop XP from creating them by opening Windows Explorer, selecting Tools and then Folder Options. Click the View tab, put a tick in the box next to "Do not cache thumbnails", and click OK.
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nvslater
Jul 28, 2008
Ok thank you. However I still don’t understand how I could have used windows explorer to view photoshop or photoshop bridge thumbnails.
JJ
John Joslin
Jul 28, 2008
You can only view PS thumbnails in Explorer if you have PS 7 or earlier on the computer.

Thumbnails generated in Bridge are only viewable in Bridge.
N
nospam
Jul 28, 2008
"nvslater" wrote in message
Ok thank you. However I still don’t understand how I could have used windows explorer to view photoshop or photoshop bridge
thumbnails.

Some software (e.g. some versions of Canon’s "Zoombrowser", some versions of Picasa etc) take it upon themselves to automatically change Explorer’s folder view to "thumbnails". This creates the thumbs.db files.

They can be safely deleted at will, but may be recreated depending on what software you’re running.
N
nvslater
Jul 28, 2008
I will have to try to see how it happened. Thanks for the help.
BH
BILL_HUNT
Jul 31, 2008
Nvslater,

It is by design, that Windows creates this file (see John’s post #6 for a way to keep it from happening), whenever one selects View>Thumbnails in Windows Explorer. If you delete it, you’ll get a message, that it is a System File. If you do not set your Folder Opitons (post #6), and then go to Windows Explorer, hit View>Thumbnails, it will be re-created.

As has been said, it is normally hidden in default installations of Windows and Bridge. Since I turn ON all Hidden/System files in view, I see this little guy, all of the time, but I want to make sure that I know, and can see, every file in any folder, so I do not delete, say a text file, or something more serious, while I’m managing folders in an image viewer, like Bridge.

Hunt
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nvslater
Aug 1, 2008
Ok I think I got it now. Thank you for all the help.

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